In recent years, a remote controlling system has been developed, the system instructing such a recording operation from outside the home to a VTR (video tape recorder) or the like in the home via telephone lines, etc.
By the way, as described above, when an operation of recording the desired programs is instructed from outside the home by remotely controlling the VTR, it is necessary for a user to memorize a channel and broadcast time of the program which he wants to record. However, in recent times, the number of the programs to be broadcast has been increasing as the TV broadcasting become multi-channeled, and therefore it is difficult for the user to memorize these broadcast times, channels, etc.
In consequence, an idea would come up that the data such as a program list is received outside the home, so as to instruct the recording operation with reference to the received program list. However, in the case where data of the program list above described is received by a portable terminal and the like, if the number of the programs contained in the program list data is many, it is considered that the data amount thereof will be large, and therefore the memory of the portable terminal with a limited volume will be subjected to pressure. Also, since the display screen loaded on the portable terminal is small, the operation of finding the desired programs among the many programs displayed on the screen becomes troublesome.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and the object of it is to provide a program information transmitting method and an apparatus capable of providing information concerning the necessary program for the user away from the home; a communicating system allowing the user outside the home to obtain the necessary information for him and to precisely instruct the recording operation or the purchasing operation of the desired programs from outside the home; a method of instructing a program recording operation;.and a method of instructing a program purchasing operation.